Free Screenplay Template for Google Docs and Word (With Format Guide)
You don’t need expensive software to write a screenplay that looks professional. You need the right margins, the right font and six paragraph styles. This free screenplay template gives you all three in Google Docs and Word. Every element is a style with a keyboard shortcut, so you spend your time on the story instead of the tab key. You also get a one-page format cheat sheet and a short example script to check your pages against.
TL;DR: Six Styles, One Font, One Page a Minute
Copy the Google Doc or download the Word file. Write action in Normal text. Press Ctrl+Alt+1 to 5 (Cmd+Option+1 to 5 on a Mac) for scene headings, character names, dialogue, parentheticals and transitions. The margins, Courier 12 pt font and page numbers are already set, so one page runs about a minute of screen time.
Download the Free Screenplay Template
Copy the Google Doc into your own Drive, or download the Word version. The cheat sheet and example script are PDFs you can keep open while you write.
What’s in the Screenplay Template
- Google Docs template: title page and first page, with every screenplay element saved as a paragraph style
- Word template: the same file as a .docx. Character names, scene headings and transitions switch to caps on their own
- Page setup: US Letter, Courier New 12 pt, 1.5″ left margin, 1″ on the other sides, page numbers top right
- Format cheat sheet (PDF): a labeled sample page, plus every indent and spacing rule on one sheet
- Example script (PDF): the title page and opening pages of Dead Air, a short film about a late-night radio host
How to Use the Screenplay Template in Google Docs
Open the Google Doc and click Make a copy. The copy lands in your own Drive. Then write with these styles.
| Element | Style | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action | Normal text | Ctrl+Alt+0 | Cmd+Option+0 |
| Scene heading | Heading 1 | Ctrl+Alt+1 | Cmd+Option+1 |
| Character | Heading 2 | Ctrl+Alt+2 | Cmd+Option+2 |
| Dialogue | Heading 3 | Ctrl+Alt+3 | Cmd+Option+3 |
| Parenthetical | Heading 4 | Ctrl+Alt+4 | Cmd+Option+4 |
| Transition | Heading 5 | Ctrl+Alt+5 | Cmd+Option+5 |
Two things to know:
- Type names and scene headings in caps. Google Docs can’t save capitals as part of a style, so turn on Caps Lock for those lines. The Word version does it for you.
- Your scenes show up in the outline. Open View, then Show outline, to jump between scenes. Character names and dialogue appear there too, so switch it off when it gets busy.
The Word version works the same way. After a scene heading, Enter takes you straight to an action line. After a character name, Enter takes you to dialogue.
Five shortcuts will save you hours.
Learn the five shortcuts before you write a single scene.
Formatting as you go is what slows a first draft down. Once your fingers know the styles, you stop thinking about margins and start thinking about the story.
Screenplay Format Cheat Sheet
Standard screenplay format comes from the typewriter days. Every script uses the same font and the same indents, so a page reads at roughly the same speed as every other page. That’s where the one page per minute rule of thumb comes from.
| Element | Starts at | Ends at | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene heading | 1.5″ | 7.5″ | Yes |
| Action | 1.5″ | 7.5″ | No |
| Character | 3.7″ | n/a | Yes |
| Parenthetical | 3.1″ | 5.6″ | No |
| Dialogue | 2.5″ | 6.0″ | No |
| Transition | Flush right | 7.5″ | Yes |
All positions are measured from the left edge of the page. The measurements match the standard spec format guide from Quote-Unquote Apps, which also sets the page at about 55 lines.
Scene Headings
A scene heading, also called a slugline, tells the reader where and when a scene happens. INT. means inside and EXT. means outside. Then comes the place, a hyphen and the time of day: INT. STUDIO - NIGHT. Start a new heading every time the location or time changes.
Character Extensions
- (V.O.) voice over: a voice that isn’t in the scene, like a narrator or a caller on the phone
- (O.S.) off screen: the character is in the scene but out of frame, like behind a door
- (CONT’D) continued: the same character speaks again after an action line
Transitions like CUT TO: sit flush right. Most modern spec scripts use them sparingly. For every transition you might need, see our guide to screenplay transitions.
Screenplay Example: Dead Air
Here’s the template in use. Dead Air is a made-up short film about Nora, a late-night radio host, and a caller who knows too much about her.
- The title page stays plain. Title centered, “Written by” and your name below it, contact details bottom left. No logos, no pictures, no date.
- Action lines stay short. None of them runs past four lines, so the page has room to breathe.
- Characters are introduced in caps. NORA VANCE (30s) appears in capitals the first time she’s on screen, then as Nora after that.
- The caller is (V.O.). He’s never in the room. We only hear him through the speaker.
- Parentheticals are rare. They show up only where the delivery isn’t obvious, like “(into the mic)”.
Dead Air also appears in our shooting schedule template, where its 13 pages are broken into three shoot days. If you want to see how a script turns into a shoot, start there. Our script breakdown template lists every actor, prop and effect in it, scene by scene.
Want a quick test of your formatting?
Print one page of your script next to a page of the example.
If yours looks crowded, your action lines are too long. If it looks empty, you’re probably overusing parentheticals and transitions.
Screenplay Format Mistakes to Avoid
- Camera directions. CLOSE ON, PAN TO and WE SEE belong to the director. Describe what happens and let the shot follow.
- Scene numbers. They go on the shooting script once a film is in production, not on the spec script you send out.
- Bold, underlines and fancy fonts. Keep it plain Courier. Readers notice formatting only when it’s wrong.
- Huge blocks of action. Readers skim anything longer than four lines.
- A missing title page. It’s the first thing a reader sees, and the only place your contact details go.
When your script is ready to pitch, you’ll need a one-page movie synopsis and a sharp logline. For the craft side, start with our screenwriting guide. Before you write pages, plot the story with our three act structure template.
Before you start page 1, plan the story with our Save the Cat beat sheet template. It gives you 15 beats and the page each one should land on.
Need to pitch the story before the script is done? Tell it in a few pages of prose with our free film treatment template.
Before you send your draft out, see how a reader will judge it with our free script coverage template.
FAQs About Screenplay Templates
Can I Change the Courier Font to Something Else?
Stick with Courier. Producers, contests and agencies expect it, and the one page per minute timing only works with a 12 pt Courier font. Courier Prime, a free Google Font, is a fine alternative if you prefer the look.
Will the Template Work in A4?
Yes. Change the paper size to A4 in Page setup and keep the same font and indents. Most US readers expect US Letter, so use that when you submit to American contests or agents.
When Should I Move to Screenwriting Software?
When you start writing features or collaborating. Free tools like WriterDuet and Trelby handle revisions, scene reports and exporting to industry formats. For shorts, spec pages and learning the format, a Google Docs screenplay template does the job.
The Final Cut on the Screenplay Template
A screenplay template takes care of format so you can focus on story.
Copy the Google Doc or download the Word version, learn the five shortcuts and keep the cheat sheet beside you for the first few scenes.
Then write the page only you can write.
Jay Neill
Jay Neill is the founder and managing editor of iFILMthings and believes everyone should have access to the film resources they need to plan their filmmaking project, which is why he’s dedicated iFILMthings to helping all filmmakers.